No. 5 Auburn’s bats were lulled to sleep Sunday afternoon as No. 2 Texas picked up a 5-0 win, securing the series victory.
The Longhorns’ pitching staff, led by Dylan Volantis, held the Tigers to four hits and did not allow a run.
Bub Terrell rips a single into center field against Texas on March. 22, 2026.
Volantis pitched four shutout innings, allowing three hits and striking out four. Although the Thousand Oaks, California, native walked a season-high four batters, Auburn was not able to make him pay.
Texas center fielder Aiden Robbins continued to stay hot at the plate, going 2-for-4 in Sunday’s win. The junior went 6-for-13, with three home runs and three RBIs on the Plains this weekend.
“He did some big things on Friday night offensively, and he continued to have really good at bats,” Auburn head coach Butch Thompson said.
Auburn had its chances to score in this one, but Texas pitchers stepped up when it mattered, forcing the orange and blue to go 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position.
The Longhorns started the scoring in the top of the second courtesy of Casey Borba’s two-run home run, putting them on top 2-0 and marking the junior’s eighth long ball of the year.
“They got the big swing early. We weren’t able to cash in on some things. They left no doubt. Credit to them. It’s really important for us to go back to work,” Thompson said.
In the bottom of the third, back-to-back two-out singles from third baseman Eric Guevara and left fielder Bub Terrell set the table for first baseman Ethin Bingaman, but he was unable to come through as Volantis escaped damage. The Tigers were 1-for-7 with runners on base while the Longhorns ace was on the hill.
Texas kept the scoring going in the top of the fourth via singles from Borba, Ashton Larson and Robbins, extending their lead to 4-0. Following the Robbins single, Christian Chatterton relieved Alex Petrovic.
Alex Petrovic pitching against Texas on March. 22, 2026.
The redshirt sophomore finished his outing after 3 2/3 innings of work, allowing seven hits, four runs, two walks and striking out four.
Texas loaded the bases in the top of the fifth and tacked on one more run when Borba put the ball in play and grounded into a double play.
In the bottom of the ninth, Eddie Madrigal pinch-hit for Auburn and led off with a double in his first appearance of the season. The redshirt junior suffered a torn ACL this fall and could “fully be cleared on Tuesday,” Thompson said.
“I wasn’t trying to do too much, honestly,” Madrigal said. “It’s been a minute. I was just happy to get in there and grateful for the opportunity.”
The five-run loss marks the end of Auburn’s gauntlet week, during which it went 2-2 against two top-five opponents and stranded 37 runners on base across the four games.
A mound visit during Auburn against Texas on March. 22, 2026.
The Tigers return to the road next week, traveling to face South Alabama and Alabama. The Jaguars are 16-8 overall (3-3 Sun Belt), while the Crimson Tide are 18-7 (3-3 SEC).
Auburn will look to take advantage of its upcoming matchups against in-state opponents before traveling to face No. 3 Georgia Tech in the second meeting of the year and returning home to Plainsman Park in two weeks for a three-game series against No. 4 Arkansas.
First pitch against South Alabama on Tuesday night is set for 6 p.m. CST at Dabos Park, formerly Montgomery Riverwalk Stadium.
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Rory is a sophomore majoring in journalism sports production. He started with The Plainsman in the spring of 2025.
You can follow him on X (Twitter) at @RorymGarvin
